Lunenburg to Halifax
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LUNENBURG TO HALIFAX CONTENTS What this trail section offers The Coast: Lunenburg to Halifax Maps Sponsors Writer/Researcher Thank you Definitions See Water Trail Information - “Getting Started” at the Water Trail Home Page for: Safety, Weather and Tides, What is a Water Trail, Maps and GPS, a list of Kayak Outfitters, coastal paddling books and more….. Did we mention safety, safety safety? Please read about Safety in “Getting Started” to get some idea of what conditions to expect while paddling the coast here in Nova Scotia. WHAT THIS TRAIL SECTION OFFERS This trail section provides you with information on 38 launch sites from the town of Lunenburg to the city of Halifax. Each launch site has a description along with land and sea directions, GPS coordinates, nearby services and a photo or two. Blue Rocks, near Lunenburg The services listed include grocery stores, restaurants and accommodations. This information can be used to help plan a multi-day trip along the whole water trail section or to plan a day paddle as you explore the coast. This information is geared to paddlers in canoes and kayaks though people with small motor boats or sailboats can use some of the launches with ramps. The sites are listed from west to east since the prevailing wind is South West in summer and paddlers may want to take advantage of this if planning a longer trip. This Lunenburg to Halifax section of trail, researched in 2008, adds onto the Queens to Lunenburg section done the previous year and the Southwest Nova Scotia (Yarmouth and Shelburne Counties) section done in 2003. Paddlers now have launch site information from Yarmouth County all the way to Halifax. We hope to add more sections of trail in the future so keep posted. Note: For ROUTE information, check out “Sea Kayak Routes” on the TRAILS home page which has brief descriptions of 42 routes plus maps from around the province. Two guide books are also available: Sea Kayaking in Nova Scotia by Scott Cunningham and Paddle Lunenburg -Queens by Sheena Masson (with 11 ocean routes in the two counties). Disclaimer: The Towns, Province, Municipalities and private businesses are not responsible for the launch site descriptions provided here. This launch site information is thought to be accurate as of the end of 2008. However the author and Web host assume no liability for errors or for changes that have occurred in the descriptions. THE COAST: THE TOWN OF LUNENBURG TO HALIFAX This section of water trail begins in the town of Lunenburg, located on a drumlin and covered with colourful historic homes. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has many fine restaurants, galleries and the Fisheries Museum. Halifax at the other end is the largest city in Nova Scotia (of two!) with all the amenities of an urban centre. Bishop’s Landing in Halifax In between, the coast from Lunenburg to Halifax is a paddler’s paradise as is most of the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. This coastline is somewhat more developed with homes and wharfs than the coast from Yarmouth to Lunenburg. It is popular coast with sailors and boaters of all kinds but not generally crowded. It may sometimes be busy near Halifax with large commercial freighters and container ships entering this active port city so be cautious paddling here. The Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia is very irregular as a glance at the map will show you. There are innumerable villages, beaches, islands, harbours and coves to explore. There are rugged headlands but also many sheltered bays to paddle through or to duck into when conditions become adverse. At the same time, caution must always be used in paddling this section, as weather conditions can rapidly change, seas can build, and fog can form quickly along the Atlantic coast. (See Safety and Weather under Water Trail Information - “Getting Started” on the Water Trails home page) Second Peninsula near Lunenburg There are many spots to stop for a picnic, go for a hike or spend an afternoon beach combing. You may see osprey, terns, loons, and a myriad of seabirds. Seals are common and if lucky you may spot a porpoise or a whale. Please do not approach wildlife or nesting areas – just watch from a distance. The geology changes dramatically about half way along this section of water trail. From Lunenburg to the Aspotogan Peninsula the bedrock is slate, very noticeable when paddling in Blue Rocks. Many of the hundreds of islands in Mahone Bay are drumlins – rounded hills of loose glacial till that are relatively fertile and were often armed. In many places, drumlin erosion can be seen. Lower Prospect This gentle land and seascape is left behind as you paddle east. At the Aspotogan Peninsula the bedrock changes to granite and the headlands are higher but fine sand beaches can still be found. Groceries Many general stores in small communities have closed in recent years. The remaining store (if any) in a community is often a small convenience store that sells a very limited selection of groceries most of which is snack food You may want to stock up on fresh food at larger towns such as Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, Chester and Hubbards. We have also tried to give a heads up in the site descriptions when it may be a long way to the next store. Shaw’s Landing restaurant Accommodations Accommodations close to each launch site are listed. They include B and B’s, cottages, inns and campgrounds but the list is not all inclusive. You can check tourism Web sites for additional accommodations. Plus you may discover a lovely waterfront cottage as you paddle along. Keep your eyes open! Wilderness camping is discussed in Water Trail Information - “Getting Started” under Ethical Travel. Homes on Big Tancook Island MAPS The map required for a specific launch site is included with each description. For this section of trail, four topographic/coastal maps were used in total: Lunenburg 21 A/8 Lunenburg to Martin’s Point plus the Tancook Islands and the tip of the Aspotogan Peninsula Chester 21 A/9 Martin’s Point to Blandford and Bayswater to Queensland Halifax 11 D/12 Queensland to Peggy’s Cove and Duncan’s Cove to Halifax Sambro 11 D/5 Peggy’s Cove to Ketch Harbour Another source of maps for this section is the book Paddle Lunenburg-Queens. This book has 31 routes in the two counties including 11 ocean routes with large excellent maps. If the book is mentioned in a launch site description, you can print off the related map (8 x11inch), laminate it and use it on your kayak deck. For details on the recommended type of map for paddling and where to buy them, see Water Trail Information - “Getting Started” on the Water Trail home page SPONSORS This project was supported with funds from the Nova Scotia Department of Health Promotion and Protection who also build and host the Web site. Canoe Kayak Nova Scotia administered the funds. WRITER/RESEARCHER This section of water trail was researched and written by Sheena Masson, an outdoor writer and avid paddler. She also researched and wrote the previous water trail section, Queens to Lunenburg. She has been a kayak guide on the south shore of Nova Scotia for many years and also teaches canoeing to a variety of groups. Off season, she does contract work in Marketing and Communications. Sheena is the author of Paddle Lunenburg-Queens (1998) and co-author of The Nova Scotia Coastal Water Trail, A Guide for Recreational Boaters, Lunenburg to Halifax. (2000). She was introduced to water trails in 1999 Sheena Masson and worked for two years on the Lunenburg to Halifax Water Trail Pilot Project. She also worked previously for Canadian Heritage Rivers (Parks Canada) in Ottawa. All photos by Sheena Masson except for the one above. THANK YOU Thanks go to planner Sue Browne who invited me to join the NS Coastal Water Trail team in 1999 and taught me so much about water trails, natural history and community process. I also want to thank Jody Conrad at Health Promotion and Protection for his ongoing support and Ken Lee, their new mapper and Web builder, for his efforts. Thanks also to Ike Whitehead , the former administrator at CKNS, and Tamara Stephens the new administrator, for their help and interest. Perry Armstrong with the NS Department of Natural Resources was a knowledgeable and helpful source of information about landing and camping on McNab’s Island. Thank you to the many business owners I interviewed and the locals I spoke to along the way who were always friendly and helpful. Finally thanks to my partner John for accompanying me on most of the field trips, doing the driving, taking GPS readings, giving helpful suggestions and editing the text. Happy paddling! DEFINITIONS For those unfamiliar with waterfront structures, here are some definitions of terms as used for the launch sites: RAMP, BEACH, WHARF, BREAKWATER, SLIPWAY Ramp: This is a hard sloping surface that allows boats on a trailer to be launched. They are often made of concrete or asphalt. They can also be gravel or hard packed earth. Paddlers can use ramps to launch though you may have to be parallel to the end of the ramp if the water is deep. Beach: “Beach” as used here doesn’t always means a long stretch of fine white sand. It can mean fine sand, course sand, gravel or small boulders (cobble stone). The type of beach to be expected is included in the site description. Also note that a beach at low tide may differ from the same beach at high tide e.g.